Love was not part of the agreement, and she wondered if it could ever be. Of course not. Not when Lyne is standing in the way. It was her desire for power on her part that brought her this far. Nothing more than that, she had hoped. Even so, she knew in her mind that she wanted him. Wanted him to love her and care for her like he always did with Lyne. No. She shouldn't compare Lyne's happiness to hers. She knew by the look in his eyes each time she looked into them that he was deeply in love with that woman and the way he always held her was extraordinary. However, it all could just be a result of one thing. Make Lyne feel wanted for once. 

It's not a bad thing to let a little girl enjoy her life for the time being and although the enjoyment was getting too deep and was etching into her skin, she could do nothing but watch. Meanwhile, she has to give Zeidan reasons why she is the best woman he can ever ask for. One of the reasons is taking down the spies around the Kingdom, one by one. 

Could she love a man who didn't love her? It was one thing to agree to become someone's Queen and another to let feelings get in the way. Had she agreed to the marriage for power or for love? Or maybe she is just afraid to admit that things had gone out of hand pretty fast.

Regardless, she was determined to wed Zeidan, get a ring on her finger, and become the Queen of Vampire city. For all she knows, if Zeidan indeed wanted Lyne for the position, he would have announced it for a long time and made her the Queen. So, then let her focus be on getting the Queenship position. Falling in love was merely a distraction or at least the beginning of desire. And the blasted handsome man had only touched her intimately once. Ever since she hasn't even been able to get at least a kiss on her hand. Was he reserving them for her? 

Would those lips that had known her body once come to know her again? Would he tease her lips with his own until her resistance dissolved and she melted into his embrace? Or would his mouth be demanding, insistent, or an assault on her senses and soul? Would his strong arms pull her so tight against him that the heat of his body would tear her flesh? Would he tear off her clothes in a mad rush of passion at long last unleashed and make her his without thought as to time and place? She shut her eyes as she thought of this, her lips releasing a self-satisfied moan of pleasure until a knock sounded on the door to her room.

She opened it and who she saw was unexpected. 

"You!"

"Yes, me." 

Luana's heart skipped a beat as she wondered why her father was now looking for her after many months that she left the house.

"What are you doing here?" 

"Your father sent me." The dark-haired, dark-skinned and heavily built male knight replied. 

"Well, screw Dad." She snapped and went back to sit on the bed.

"Come back home, Luana. He has missed you so much."

"Well, he didn't miss me when I was with him and I kept going for war. He knew I might die if I kept standing at the war front but he did nothing to change that. I could have died, a long time ago."

"No. Your father knew that even if he sent you to a million wars, you'd come home victorious. He didn't send you to the war fronts to die. He sent you there because he had so much faith in you."

She looked at him and scoffed uninterestingly. 

"Well, screw the faith too. I never asked for his faith or his acceptance. All I asked for was a life. A peaceful one."

"And are you getting that here?"

A million pounds question. Was she really getting that peaceful life, here with Zeidan? When she had left her Father in Los Angeles to come to stay with Zeidan, she had thought life will be easier, and safer and all she would have to do is send her men to go to war instead of going herself once she became Queen. Yes. Once she becomes the Queen. The only ray of hope that had kept her going.

"If only you know what I stand to gain by coming here, Robin, you wouldn't ask me to come home." Her eyes turned darker and her lips curved into an evil smile.

"Whatever it is, I still think coming home to see your father is the best. At least, let him get to see your face..."

"Why? Is he losing thousands of Vampires to war? Has he now felt my absence so hard that he needed to call his prodigal daughter?" She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "What a shame!"

"There's nothing shameful about wanting to see one's daughter." Robinson paused. "Your mother...she is sick." 

Luana paused in her tracks as she looked back at her Father's knight. How? Her mother is a Vampire. She isn't supposed to fall sick. Well, so much for being three thousand years old. But why is she sick?

"Because she misses you so much."

Luana rolled her eyes. "Why do I always forget to block your telepathy nonsense from accessing my mind and thoughts."

"I'm sorry, my Lady. But this is what you have to do. Visit your Father and Mother too."

Luana looked him up and down and tried to speak but a guard walked into the room.

"Your highness, the Werecat is awake."

"Your highness?" Rob mused to himself as he muttered under his breath.

"I'll be there in a minute. Just wait there for me." As soon as the guard stepped out, she walked up to the shelf and brought out a diamond tiara which she placed on her head.

"So much for staying away from a fucking controlling Father." 

Rob sighed defeatedly and nodded his head.

"So, in conclusion..."

"I'm not coming to see my parents. I don't think I ever will. My life is much more peaceful here." With that, she walked past him, her steps majestic and classy.

★★★★★★★★★★

Chloe dropped the wooden box on the table ànd opening it, she removed a picture frame that contained a man who looked in his mid-thirties. They had gotten married when she was seventeen before she joined the army and throughout his lifetime, she thought he never loved nor cared about her. Turns out, she had been wrong. Maya told her he would come often to the temple and pray for her safety. 

Tears stung her eyes as she remembered the fight that ensued the night before he died.

"You're not going to follow me. I have already promised to look after your sister. Trust me and stay here."

"But my sister is in trouble and I have to save her."

"I am going to save her and not you. You will stay here."

"I can't stay here. Don't you get me? I haven't seen my sister for years now and you want me to forget about her suddenly?"

"You're not forgetting about anyone. You're just keeping yourself safe. If the King finds out about us, we're going to die. And I don't want you to die." His face had been expressionless but his words said everything now that she thought about it.

Moments later that night, she had heard screams and some people begging for a wounded person to be brought into the city. And she felt it. She could feel her sister. But she was prevented from going outside. Her sister died in the hands of those Wolves just like her husband did too. They took away her two most loved beings on earth.

She let the tears roll down her eyes as she resolved to seek revenge for the death of her sister and her husband.